TS 2.01 - Juan D’Arienzo 1975
Tags: Juan D'ArienzoCategory: CollectionSamples
These recordings belong to the very last session of the El Rey del Compás, Juan D’Arienzo. They were recorded at the Víctor studios on January 30, 1975.
Regrettably, only five tracks from this session, Río Bamba, Vamos Topo Todavía, Para Vos Querida Pebeta, Chavero Soy, and Dialogando con el Río, were officially released in Argentina by EP or LP formats. To fill this historical gap, TS 2.01 presents, for the first time, the complete ten-track session in fully restored form.
Looking back on D’Arienzo’s artistic life, what strikes us most is that his music was never devoured by the immense tristeza of tango. No other orchestra maintained such unwavering courage and conviction so consistently. D’Arienzo preserved something primal in tango: the stubbornness, bravery, and impulsiveness of the gaucho spirit, rather than the sentimental melancholy that came later. In this sense, Jorge Luis Borges must have preferred El Rey to Astor Piazzolla.
By his final years (1972–1975), D’Arienzo had entered a state of absolute determination, a relentless and almost militant belief. In many ways, this stubbornness surpassed even the spirit of his Golden Age recordings. It manifested itself in extraordinarily fast tempos, powerful rhythmic drive, boundless energy, and a complete refusal to indulge in nostalgia or sentimentality.
Among his three singers, the youngest, Osvaldo Ramos, had by then reached full artistic maturity and emerges as the center of this album, appearing on six tracks. Alberto Echagüe and Armando Laborde each contribute one and two tracks. Completing the session is Río Bamba, D’Arienzo’s final instrumental recording.
Today, TS 2.01 finally presents this remarkable session in the finest sound quality it has ever enjoyed. As you listen, we invite you to remember and celebrate the undefeated King of Rhythm, whose spirit never wavered until the end.
Overall, the source recordings already exhibited exceptionally high audio quality. After restoration, the sound stands comfortably alongside many contemporary recordings. The stereo image is natural and convincing, far removed from the unnaturally wide channel separation often encountered in stereo recordings around 1960.
It appears that during the original mastering process, certain artistic enhancements were applied to both the extreme high and low frequencies, resulting in a somewhat exaggerated sense of extension at both ends of the spectrum. During restoration, we made only modest adjustments to address a few cases of excessive distortion while preserving the character of the originals.
While working on this album, I was repeatedly struck by D’Arienzo’s extraordinary consistency over his whole career. This consistency was not merely artistic; it was spiritual. The same determination, resilience, and unwillingness to compromise remained with him all the way to the end.
Perhaps this is why D’Arienzo deserved the title of “King.” TS 2.01 is, above all, a tribute and a salute to the king.
Frank Jin
| Date | Track | Genre | Singer | Label | Pitch | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-01-30 | Para Vos Querida Pebeta | Tango | Osvaldo Ramos | Victor | 442 | 3:10 |
| 1975-01-30 | Chavero Soy | Tango | Osvaldo Ramos | Victor | 442 | 3:11 |
| 1975-01-30 | Dialogando Con El Rio | Tango | Osvaldo Ramos | Victor | 442 | 2:45 |
| 1975-01-30 | Su Pena | Tango | Osvaldo Ramos | Victor | 442 | 2:43 |
| 1975-01-30 | Romance De Otoño | Tango | Osvaldo Ramos | Victor | 442 | 2:55 |
| 1975-01-30 | Soy Un Gorrión Esquinero | Tango | Osvaldo Ramos | Victor | 442 | 2:32 |
| 1975-01-30 | Otra Noche Porteña | Tango | Armando Laborde | Victor | 442 | 2:56 |
| 1975-01-30 | Viejo Malevo | Tango | Armando Laborde | Victor | 442 | 2:58 |
| 1975-01-30 | Vamos Topo Todavia | Tango | Alberto Echagüe | Victor | 442 | 2:38 |
| 1975-01-30 | Río Bamba | Tango | Instrumental | Victor | 442 | 2:38 |
